BROOKLYN, NEW YORK -- I am now seeking both criminal charges as well as compensation. They bullied and blackmailed me until I called the Police, then they humiliated me too. I took my computer in for repair at the Best Buy store at Kings Plaza on Avenue U and Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn, NY. They sent it out under warranty and I also told them in addition to hardware, the recovery disk never burned right, so I needed a new recovery disk.

It came back, I tried to pick it up today (6/13/13), I owe no money cause all repairs are covered. They refused to give me a new recovery disk even though it did not burn right out of the box. I would not sign papers saying all work was done to my satisfaction because not all work was done and I could not test what was done.

Tech ** took the computer right out of my hands saying he was "just going to clean it" but then refused to give it back because I would not sign saying all the work was done right (cannot say it unless I can take it home and test it). ** the asst. mgr. said the same thing.

I called the police. While waiting, I called the Best Buy 800 number. The girl on the phone told me I had to purchase the recovery CD for 40 dollars if I wanted my computer back. I told her I didn't owe anything for repairs, that all repairs were covered, and I was not given a disk, so why did I have to pay. She said if I want my computer back, I have to pay 40 dollars for the disk. I asked her name and said I was going to report her, she said "Go [curse word] yourself, I'm not giving you anything" and hung up on me.

I wrote this less than 30 minutes after the incident. ** was right next to me at the end of call, and I told her what they said. She then said that's correct, I have to pay 40 dollars to buy the disk if I want my computer back. Again I emphasized I owed nothing and no software work was done and I didn't get the disk, but they were blackmailing me. I'm not paying for them to restore the computer, I can do that myself, and they won't replace the recovery disks that never burned right in the first place (won't burn it now cause I get intermittent blue screen issues, so OS is faulty, not making a faulty recovery disk).

When the police came, ** changed their stories and lied to the police, saying I only needed to sign to say I got the computer. They kept looking at each other and smiling like it was all some kind of game. It was extremely humiliating, degrading and insulting. I was trying to be honest, and they lied and thought it was funny!

They lied to me, to the police, they took my computer out of my hands forcibly under false pretense, they took my computer hostage and tried to steal it, they harassed and humiliated me even in front of the police, they blackmailed me too. This is not the first problem either. I previously had 150 gift certificate and lost it, and called them immediately. Even though it was not spent yet, they would not replace it because I didn't have the physical receipt since it was a gift, even though I had ALL the numbers written down and could prove I owned it.

Not only that, but my last computer also under warranty with them was supposed to be replaced at 4 repairs. I had to bring it in 6 times for repairs before they would replace it, and made 4 extra trips because they would not fix defective repairs (the new screen had dings in it), IT WAS A NIGHTMARE.

And now making things even worse, here it is three days later I just now turned on the computer at home to set it up to do some work, and I got another BAD surprise from them. Here's what they did. When they first turned it on in the store in front of me BEFORE they forcibly took it out of my hands under false pretense, I had both internal drives working fine (its supposed to have 2 internal drive at 500 Gb each, total of 1 Tb storage).

After all that fighting and he took out of my hands by force while lying about the reason because I would not sign the papers saying work was done when it was not, now it only shows ONE internal drive. He removed the other drive on purpose because it was working when he first turned it on BEFORE the crap hit the fan. The jerk stole my second drive in spite!!!

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Bad Management

Posted by Ron on 03/18/2012

Rating: 1/51

XHANDLER, ARIZONA -- Firstly I am elderly and disabled. My son bought a 46-in RCA TV for me at Best Buy near the Chandler AZ Mall. The store manager there is named **. The television developed a 3-inch blurred line on the right hand side and I called the store last night about 8PM and talked to an associate. She told me to just bring the television back to the store since I had just gotten it in Jan and they would replace it with another.

I got a friend to load the TV in my car and took it back to the store this morning. When I got there an associate took the TV from the car and into the store. And associate in the store listened to my complaint and I told him what I was told. He took the TV, plugged it in and waited for the problem to appear.

Once he saw what it was he told me there was nothing he could do except send it in for a repair that would take six to eight weeks. I told him what I was told the night before and he said that he would not do that so I asked for a manager. I waited about 25 minutes and the manager ** came to me and I explained the problem to him, he said nothing but walked into another room in the store and another male came out with a Geek Squad shirt and began said to me “what’s your problem” and I again explained why I was there.

He listened and told me that there was nothing he could do to help me, I noticed that the manager ** was now standing behind me. I asked this associate if he was the manager and he said no. So I turned to ** and asked him if he was the manager and he replied he was and I asked him why this other associate was speaking for him. He then began to tell me that he called the evening manager and that manager had no idea what I was talking about and in fact said that he had received no phone call the night before, then the previous associate said that he was the manager last night and he did not receive any such call.

I then asked ** why he thought I would lie about something like this, specifically being elderly and disabled as it was very difficult to get this large TV back to Best Buy. I asked him why he thought I would go through all that trouble and why in fact he would call me a liar. He responded that it made no difference to him and that there was nothing he was going to do so I should just call RCA and complain to them.

I responded that this was not a good enough solution for me and that I needed them to fulfill the agreement that I had received the night before and to replace the TV now. ** then got really close up in my face and said “I told you there was nothing I can do.” My son who was there believed that ** was threatening me and moved up to ** and told him to back his “ass” up. ** then turned to my son and told him he wanted him to leave the store and he was going to escort him out now. I repeated that we would gladly leave the store once the problem was solved and to solve it all he had to do was give me another TV and we would be gone.

** once more stepped up really close to me as if to intimate me and told me to leave the store now. He said that he would have someone put the TV in my car but he would do nothing else. He told me if I did not leave he would call the police and I suggested that was a good idea because I feel he was threatening me unnecessarily and I would wait for them to come.

My wife then insisted that we leave and pulled the car up front and they put the TV into it and I now have it back in my home unrepaired. I do not have to say much more to explain how I feel about ** the manager and Best Buy. But it is shameful to treat elderly disabled people in this manner.

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Best Buy Product Misrepresentation; Pathetic Installation Service

Posted by michaeltreed on 07/14/2010

My wife purchased a PanaSonic TC-P50G20 plasma TV for my birthday and father's day. She even had Best Buy 'install' the TV so I wouldn't have to.

At the time of sale we were told the TV was internet ready, and, more importantly, that Netflix was available "out of the box", through VERACAST without requiring any additional hardware, etc., (e. g. an additional $400 Blue Ray player which was Netflix ready).

The installation was a joke! I re-opened my Netflix account. BestBuy "allegedly installed" the system (basically taking the unit out of the box and setting it up on the cabinet); I was not happy with the picture, and the installer proceeded to try to convince me that I needed a new cable box, as he slapped the remote into my hand and walked away, as though it was too much trouble to stick around a minute to show me how the thing worked. I contacted the cable company, who was kind enough to guide me through the process to increase to 1080 rather than the lower capacity we were running our old TV at. Bottom line, despite the sales agreement that Best Buy would deliver and setup one box, I (not Best Buy) connected the TV to the cable box with the HDMI cable; connected to the internet via ethernet cable; successfully accessed YouTube and viewed videos; successfully watched DVDs and VCRs. Everything works -- except Netflix does not display as one of the "widgits" in the VERACAST menu.

After reading and trying everything possible, I went to BestBuy to find out how to set up Netflix. (I have a Netflix account). I thought the LAN connection was bad somehow, but wasn't. I thought I configured the system wrong, but hadn't.

I drove 30-miles to the store where we purchased the TV. The BestBuy technician told me that a Netflix "widget" should display when I press the VERACAST button on the control. It does not! I have YouTube, Picasa, Settings, Bloomberg, Pandora, tagesschau, Weather, Skype, twitter and amaz'n video. But NO NetFlix!

The BestBuy sales technician told me that I must have destroyed the Netflix Widget when I was configuring the system, and all I had to do, since I had everything else working with regard to the internet, was to reset all the VERACAST settings to "factory defaults", and Netflix should show up as a "widget" after selecting VERACAST on the control. Oh yes, he tried to sell me an additional $150 "Geek Squad" installation service to come out to the house to get the system working (which they couldn't -- read on, it gets better!). I declined, fortunately, thinking I was probably as adept at figuring out what to do next, and thinking it was always an option I could fall back on.

So, for the next step in the run-around I was getting from PanaSonic and BestBuy, was to trot 30 miles back home, look for any and every possible place to "reset factory defaults". Not surprising, it was just another "how do I get the customer out of my face who already gave us his $2000", so I can get another sucker on the line before they leave the store. Not surprising, there is NO WAY TO RESET FACTORY DEFAULTS to get Netflix to show up on the VERACAST menu; that was just a distraction to get me out of the store.

After exhausting all options, I got back on line to the PanaSonic "support" website for my second "chat" session, asking: "how do I get the Netflix widget to display on the VERACAST menu?". They respond back: "you can't get Netflix because it is not available". Not a clear answer, so I pressed for clarification: not available at this moment because of a technical difficulty, or, not available for the model I purchased? Finally, after pressing for a more direct and less evasive answer, I was told that "when Netflix becomes available, [possibly at some future date] it will automatically show up as 'an option' in the VERACAST menu". They purposely left out 'possibly at some future date' until I pressed further. They also said that Netflix currently is available for Blue Ray devices, BUT NOT for the PanaSonic TV. [But it's interesting that Amaz'n movies are available in the VERACAST menu ... hmmm, could this be a factor?] Okay, after literally having to pry the truth out of the "helpless desk agent" I was chatting with, I finally found out the ever popular 'they' were told TV streaming would be ready by the end of the month, but NOW 'they' have pulled that estimated availability delivery date for TVs to "delayed until some unknown date, if at all". In other words: buy an internet-ready Blue Ray player for $400 if you want Netflix.

So, I've been lied to and given the run-around by false advertisement; false representation of a product by both PanaSonic and Best Buy. I was also told we could access the internet using a wireless router, which also was not the case. In all, I've spent two days trying to get Netflix to work, unsuccessfully following the promises and run-around; and two 60-mile trips to Best Buy; and chat sessions with the help desk. I finally got access to Netflix by using the PC input port option, and hooking my $700 blue ray-capable desktop PC and using the TV as an over-priced monitor by using a VGA 15-pin cable. Ya'd think someone would have suggested this during one of our 'chats', as the ONLY way you can access Netflix 'at this time'.

I am a very UNHAPPY camper right now. Having Netflix available without having to buy a $350-400 Blue Ray device was part of the decision we made, and the salesman knew it -- it was the last question we had clarified before making the decision to spend an additional $400 on the TV we decided upon. We specifically asked: "so we can buy the internet-ready TV and we can get Netflix without having to buy the Blue Ray system, correct?" The salesman answered "yes, that's right". $2000 later, and here we are ... ready to have Best Buy come pick up the system after a completely soured experience. Oh yes, did I mention this was my birthday/father's day present! Happy Birthday from Best Buy?

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Best Buy's PSP is a joke

Posted by danes75 on 08/29/2005

HOUSTON, TEXAS -- 18 months ago I purchased a Samsung 50" HDTV DLP TV from Best Buy (#291 near the Galleria in Houston, Texas) from their extremely pushy and arrogant sales people. They convinced me that the unit would be in dire danger if I didn't buy a 100 buck surge protector and their 4 year PSP plan at another 250 bucks, in addition to the 4000 dollar television.

Only two months later, white spots appeared on the screen. They sent a half-wit out that couldn't speak any English and would not fix the problem, saying it would take a month to get the part in and they'd have to have the TV the whole time. I figured I would just let him leave and schedule someone else.

Two more times they sent someone out, both times they "couldn't recreate the problem" and made no repairs.

The fourth visit was for a loud spinning noise. The technician fixed it on the spot and stated in his service ticket as replacing the color wheel. He saw the spots, but didn't have the necessary tools to fix it. Requested replacement under No Lemon Policy, technician said no. 125 bucks. (covered under PSP)

The fifth visit was because the TV would not turn on, or would turn off after being on for a few minutes. The technician did not have the part and had to order a DMD. Requested No Lemon, technician denied saying the unit had not been "repair" 3 times, only had technician visits. 600 bucks. (covered under PSP)

The returning (different) technician, a week later, would not install the DMD because he "could not recreate the problem", even though the first technician COULD recreate it and signed off on the order. No repair. The TV didn't work the next day.

Same technician a week later, "could not recreate the problem", but cleaned the lens saying that was what caused the white spots on the screen. Requested Lemon, no from technician.

Eighth visit because screen would not come on. Same technician as previous two times replaced the lamp unit. 220.00 bucks (covered under PSP) Requested Lemon, technician said unit had to be repaired 3 times and a 4th service call requested.

Ninth visit because TV had repeating characters all the way across the screen. Needed to order part. I requested a new unit (not Samsung) under the No Lemon Policy. After reviewing receipt, the technician called his supervisor in Dallas who had to issue a ticket number. He then called the insurance company who manages the PSP policy (AIG Warranty Guard, part of AIG) and the lady argued with him about what constitutes a replacement or not and what repairs had been done on the TV AND what each part replaced did and cost. She finally approved the replacement. I was told that the order should be uploaded to the store that I purchased the unit from by that afternoon and to call them to verify and ask any questions.
-----------------------------
Around 11am (on a Thursday) I called the store (#291) with questions on how the replacement would work. After spending about 5 minutes answering telephone tree questions, the phone at Customer Service rang for another 10 minutes, and then was picked up and hung back up.

I called back at around 1:30 and went through the same routine. Instead of being hung up on, after 10 minutes of ringing the phone went back to the main menu tree. I tried several different departments, all of which rang back to the main menu after 10 minutes EACH.

At 2:30 I called AGAIN. Same thing as the first time, was hung up on after letting the phone ring for about 10 minutes.

At 4:00 I called yet again. Phone tree... Customer Service ringing and ringing. This time someone picked up the phone, but instead of speaking or hanging up, they placed me on hold immediately. I was on hold for 25 minutes before hanging up.

I called the 1-888 and asked how it would work, that I didn't want another Samsung DLP TV. He said they would issue a voucher for the purchase price of the product if that was the case and I would be able to pick out what I wanted. If the amount was more, I would pay the difference, the amount was less, I would be given a gift card for the remainder. This was confirmed by Seth at the corporate office.

Finally I decided to just go to the store with the television. After waiting in line for about 30 minutes (I can never figure out why there's always 6 people behind the customer service desk ,not to mention the 50 or so wondering around the store talking to each other with nothing to do, but only ONE customer service station opened, even during the Christmas holiday), I told the CS guy I had the PSP and had been approved for a replacement. He asked to see my receipt, and after reviewing it stated that I couldn't get a replacement because it had been more than 30 days since I purchased the item. ??????? What ?????? I again stated that it was covered under the PSP and already been approved for replacement. His response was the same, that replacements were only covered during the first 30 days. I asked to see his supervisor, who disappeared for another 10 minutes and came back with a sheet of paper and my information on it. He told me to go and give it to a salesperson in the Home Theater area.

I did. He tried to sell me yet another surge protector and a 6000 plasma, even though all I wanted was a replacement for the one I had purchased. I had decided to get a 42" plasma from Panasonic (which I had confirmed was available at that store on the Best Buy website) and use the remainder of the amount as payment on a smaller plasma for the master bedroom.

I was immediately told that the Panasonic in question was out of stock, even though I had already confirmed it was there... but would I like a 50" Sony instead? I told the salesperson no and started looking for something else. He came back a few minutes later and said his manager had told him that I could only get a 50" Samsung DLP. I told him I didn't want that, I didn't like DLP, and asked to speak to his manager.

10 minutes later Kyle Tucker showed up and presented himself as "the Manager". I told him what I wanted. His response was that they could only replace like items, that if I had a 50" DLP I had to replace it with another 50" DLP.

I read to him the warranty agreement about the voucher. He said it was at the discretion of the store manager, and that if I wanted to get something else, I could only have a voucher for the amount that the 50" DLP was selling for, which was 2000 bucks! Only 18 months after I had purchased the item, almost 10 service calls later before they would replace the item, and he offers HALF of what I paid for it. Even better was that if I chose something that cost less, I wouldn't get the difference, and if I chose something that was more, I would have to pay the difference. He continued to argue with me. I told him I spoke with both customer service at the 1-888 number AND someone named Seth from corporate and they both told me the same thing. His response was that corporate didn't know what the hell they were talking about.

I tried calling corporate but they were closed. I went ahead and went with the deal, thinking I'd take it up with his boss area manager. When I went to check out with customer service, they refunded the ENTIRE amount of the original purchase (3788.74) but THEN raised the price of the item that I was purchasing (originally 2100) to match the amount of the refund! I also noticed that the "manager" that signed off on the exchange was not, in fact the "manager" of the store, as he had claimed, but the Home Theater Area Manager.

I'm not finished with this yet. Best Buy has horrible customer service, pushy and obnoxious sales staff, and rude management.

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TV Repair

Posted by studearch on 08/06/2008

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO -- This is a letter sent to my local "Best Buy" store in 2005, after they lost our Sony TV for repairs. In reality, they contract repairs to local firms, which are supposed to be authorized, trained service providers. Warranty repairs, tracking, etc. is handled by a third-party agency, N.E.W., located in Minnesota - no where near my home town. In this case it was sent to an unauthorized shop that couldn't figure out the problem, couldn't order parts as an unauthorized agent, and requested that we contact Sony directly to order and pay for the part. Ultimately, Best Buy lost the TV, recovered it, and sent it to an authorized repair facility.

After over two months, it was finally delivered to us. Of course repair shop #2 had lost the power cord, as they claim never to have received it from repair shop #1. They attempted to charge us for a new one but after repeated calls to Best Buy, who had come to know us well, we received a cord and the TV works fine. However, now an unauthorized shop has messed around in our TV voiding the warranty. And all of this was done under their "Extended Warranty Repair" fee.

Store Manager
Best Buy
3741 Ellison Dr. NW
Albuquerque, NM. 87114
Mr. XXXX,
As the calendar passes 60 days that our 37â Sony Plasma television has been out for repairs, since October 3, 2005, my anger has subsided to resignation that we may someday resolve the problem. At least now, we are receiving phone messages on our machine regarding the status.

Yesterday, the message was that the necessary part has been ordered and may be received in seven to ten days. After that, we assume that it will only be a matter of a few more days to install and test the unit to assure the repair adequate and, the TV will be returned to us and connected. As expressed to you previously, my concern is that the television has been jeopardized because that it was shipped to an unauthorized repair center, where it remained for several weeks while technicians attempted to diagnose the problem. Only after repeated calls to "Repair Shop 1" were unreturned, did they finally inform us that they were getting no tech support from Sony. We were urged by XXXX at "Repair Shop 1" to call the N.E.W. to push the tech support from our end, as they were having no success. So much for the so-called âservice warrantyâ we purchased with the TV at a cost of $4375.04, September 11, 2004.

Repeated calls after November 15 to the N.E.W. Warranty Co., 1-800-365-0292, yielded only more frustration. Never was I able to speak to the same person twice and repeatedly had explain the situation over and over. Requesting to speak to management only yielded replies of âI am unauthorized toâ¦., Iâll look into itâ, and other ineffectual responses. They were unable to give me a status, an expected delivery or repair date, or even confirm if they knew where the TV was at the moment. Being remotely located from the area only exacerbated delays due to time zones and lack of response from "Repair Shop 1". Two requests to replace the TV with a new one were declined by some entity having âauthorityâ.

Finally, my patience had reached the end and I called your stores service department, who elevated the situation to you. After researching the service call, they determined that the unit had been sent to the wrong, unauthorized service provider. They arranged to have it picked up by an authorized provider, "Repair Shop 2". Once again the TV was subjected to transportation, disassembly, diagnosis, authorization calls to Sony to procure the parts, and the wait for delivery. This brings us to where we are today.

At this date I can only express the dissatisfaction and frustration in dealing with Best Buy and N.E.W. The ineptitude of service, lack of communication and accurate tracking, and inability to expedite issues above levels of âauthorizationâ, especially from N.E.W., indicate an organization willing only to pass the buck to get a complaint out of their hair. No one has made any effort to depart from a âbusiness as usualâ procedure to expedite the problem, including a replacement unit, compensation, or pressing authorization levels. No one has mentioned overnight delivery of parts or pressing Sony.

Further frustrating the experience is the knowledge that comparable and better televisions were available at Costco, Circuit City, and other local providers for less money, up to $1600. We have also been charged a service fee because a payment was delayed a day by lack of mail delivery on a national holiday. Obviously, the urgency and prompt response works only in one direction.

Our only consolation is that we will never shop in a Best Buy store again. Our teenage son â your future market â is now aware of the problems and inconvenience caused by the abysmal service, or lack of such, on our TV. The time line and notes across my calendar documenting this fiasco has become fodder for conversation and awareness from my office associates. As if this didnât speak for itself, I have urged them to shop elsewhere for holiday and future purchases of entertainment and computer hardware. As my business includes designing custom residences, many with home entertainment systems, I urge my clients to consider, more reliable, capable resources when designing their home.

Our optimistic hope is that the television will be returned to us in pristine and fully satisfactory condition, with a picture and operation for which Sony is renowned. We expect that the unit will be reinstalled as before, although now the technicians installing it did not remove it initially. We hope that we will experience many years of trouble-free operation, due to the extensive diagnostics the TV has been through. Should the unit require future service I will think twice before considering our so-called service warranty, rather than just dealing directly with a repair provider.

Lastly, when Iâm again in the market for any electronics, the first name to cross off my list will be âBest Buyâ. Never againâ¦.
Sincerely,

STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK -- (I originally posted an abbreviation of this in response to a posting by 'Jackadams' about Best Buy's petty return polices)

First, before I describe my experience, I admit this this is lengthy, but is actually regarding a minor purchase (a DVD movie). But my gripe is not so much about getting back my $19.50 as it is the PRINCIPLE of DOING the RIGHT THING, and underscores why so many here have a negative view of Best Buy. I feel especially bad for those that were lied out of hundreds of dollars when they purchased those useless ‘extended warranties’. If BB pulled that crap on me they’d be seeing me in small claims court ASAP!

Now, I know there are some Best Buy stalwarts on here who’ll stand up for Best Buy no matter how poorly it treats its customers and will probably call me a whiner or whatever like the others. Fine – let them stick up for robbing people – but they neglect the principle of the monetary system which is about getting a product or service that SATISIFES in return for your hard-earned dollar!

Whether it’s after 30 days or 60 days or even 100 days, if someone decides they want to return a product in FACTORY-SEALED, UNOPENED condition that no longer satisfies their needs in return for their hard-earned money, there should NOT be ANY hassle because an unopened item (ESPECIALLY a simple unopened DVD movie) should be as good as any other item on the shelf and can be easily restocked. Isn’t keeping someone’s money against their will supposedly a crime in this country if they're not getting something in return for that money? Not in Best Buy’s eyes…After 30 days they just keep your money regardless – even if you wish to return an UNOPENED item! What kind of Bulls**t is that? They’ll smugly claim they’re 'actually doing you a favor’ by offering you a store credit, but what if they don’t have anything else you’d want to purchase or you simply need your money back for something important? They took your money but you’re left with nothing of value to you except for a product you can’t or won’t use– that’s STEALING!

My recent experience:
I purchased a DVD movie on 10/17/07 (The Reaping, single disc release $17.99 / $19.50 with tax) not long before I went away for a week. I work a very busy schedule and often travel and I had to leave town for business. When I returned from my trip I wanted to return the DVD to Best Buy for a REFUND since I NEVER OPENED IT. A simple no-hassle return of an UNUSED, UNOPENED and TOTALLY RESALABLE item right?...WRONG!!! Not in Best buy's petty world (or the Staten Island, NY store anyway).

First off as many here espouse, I agree that being polite and using a little sugar is always better than vinegar when dealing with people. But I've found that in many cases, no matter how friendly or 'sugary' you treat BB customer service reps (of course with the exception of some truly nice ones I've encountered) many take a snippy tack and act like robots who've never had to return something instead of real people once there is a policy dispute, as if doing so will get them 'brownie points' for ‘enforcing the policy’. In reality they're only damaging customer relations and re-enforcing Best Buy's shoddy reputation. The buying public is a generally principled bunch – give the customer a little satisfaction and you’d keep their business. Breaking their so-called, 'God-Has-Spoken' policy once in a while would actually help the store's sales and its overall reputation in the long run by encouraging those customers to return in the future.

So, smiling politely I asked "Can I possibly get a refund for this unopened DVD?"(I WANTED my MONEY back NOT A CREDIT). All I got was the “Well, I can only give you a store credit for this because it's-past-30-days-and-it's out of-the-return-policy-and-the-computer-system- won't-let-us-do-it'...What a bunch of Poppycock!...So you mean to tell me now it’s a COMPUTER that makes BB’s customer service decisions!? Hogwash! My career is in computers - there's always a way to override the so-called ‘system'; – and in retail the store manager would most certainly be able to (such as at Verizon wireless when I recently had to exchange a phone). But the problem is when I asked for the ‘store manager’ in the Staten Island store I got 2 snotty 'managers' (one looked more teenaged than the other) who claimed to be the 'store manager' and to be on the ’same level' (Yeah, right! I'm sure the head store manager wears those blue Mc-Uniforms and not a dress shirt & tie!). So I tried the 44th street & 5th Ave NYC store and also got similarly robotic treatment there as well… All this hassle over a lousy UNOPENED $18 DVD! 30 days is not always a reasonable return window for those of us that actually have to work for a living and have busy traveling schedules. 60 days would be fair, ESPECIALLY at Christmastime! But what pisses me off most is just the petty adherence to 'policy' that always seems to prevail over customer satisfaction at Best Buy over such basic things as returning an unopened item that can be easily resold.

CIRCUIT CITY doe have its share of faults too, but at least I’ve had a MUCH easier time there with returns (and price matching as well). I once returned a DVD WELL past 30 days after purchase and even though the girl at the counter did (VERY POLITELY!) mention to me their own30 day policy, she still TOOK IT BACK WITHOUT A HASSLE and gave me a refund because it was unopened. I was pleasantly surprised and let them know I really appreciated it, which underscores my point. It wasn’t so much the $15 bucks I got back that made me happy, as it was the PRINCIPLE of the nice way it was handled, without any double-talk. They put my satisfaction ahead of ‘policy’. That is why I go back there and go to Best Buy ONLY if I need a small purchase and have no other options.

Hope this helps my fellow frustrated Best Buy victims!

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Where do I start

Posted by threethreethree on 10/23/2009

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK -- As I just read in someone else's review, if you are going to grab something in stock off the shelf at BB for less than $100 then you may have a good experience with Best Best. My experience with them has been a frustrating one to say the least.
First off we bought a Sony Bravia 46" TV that was bundled in a nice package with a home theater/surround sound and a blue ray DVD player. The price was great, I cannot complain about that. Our first trip to the store was on a Sunday, the day the sale flier came out. We went to the store and were told the TV and the DVD player were in stock but the home theater system was not. The guy waiting on us proceeded to call the other store about 30 minutes away as the computer system indicated there was one in stock over there. An hour, I kid you not an hour later the kid finally gets a call back from the other store. They sold the last home theater system. So we are told that we cannot get the package because if we order it and the home theater system doesn't come back in stock and they decide not to sell that item anymore the entire order will get cancelled and we cannot get the deal after that. They could not get the home theater sent from any other store and he told me if I ordered it at home online the same thing could happen. So I go home and find a store about 2 hours away that has all 3 items in stock. We go there and buy the package, leave with the home theater system and DVR and they set up delivery for the TV (which at that time was out of stock at our local store). We decided not to pick the TV up from the store 2 hours away b/c the package included free delivery and set up. Fast forward 3 weeks. The TV is in, we set up delivery. It arrives and my husband is expecting for the guy to set the TV up. He says oh no you have to set up an appointment with the Geek Squad to do that. What? We were never told it was 2 separate appointments we had to make. So my husband calls BB. They say we have to call an 800 number. He does, they say we are not in their system and won't be until 3 days after the TV is delivered! What! Why would someone order a TV and then wait 3 days to even be able to set up an appointment to have it hooked up. To top it off we have direcTV coming tomorrow and our TV is not even hooked up! Best Buy is a joke for big purchases. It is not worth the hassle. On a side note, I went to BB in the midst of waiting for our TV to come in to sign up for DirecTV through them b/c they had a rebate/gift card incentive. That was a joke, it took over an hour and in the end the guy helping me out ended up "calling" direcTV b/c he couldn't set it up on the computer for some reason. So he calls and can't get through the number is "disconnected". He shows me the screen on his computer where it says to call the number. I say to him, you wrote down an 800 number, this is an 888 number. I had to tell him what number to call. So then he finally gets on the phone w/ them to hand me over the phone and I did everything myself. I could have done that at home!

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Extended Warranties are really a partial warranty based on their value.

Posted by Ron L Hudson on 07/30/2009

FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS -- Here is the condensed story,- Paid $499 for a TV with a 4 yr. $59.99 extended warranty. TV goes bad and they send it off. Three weeks later I am told, it cost more to fix than get a new one. They offer me $199 to replace the $600 dollars spent.

After many calls, and holds, and transfers, I am told by the manager that that is correct, since I bought a cheap TV 3+ years ago, we decide what value to give back to replace it, so you will get a cheap TV in return (his words).

Tax and all of the original invoice was $610.38 The manager was rude and actually called me a thief because I was not happy with $199 they offered. I could go on and on about all of the problems and lack of respect and honesty that I feel has transpired for me but the truth is, I just want each and everyone of you to know how things are done there.

If you take the free magazine for 60 or 90 days, you will get a bill from the magazine and they are hard to cancel. This was a ploy set up by Best Buy and the magazines in question to get that fraction more money because the statistics say some won't take the time to cancel. You can bet there was training on how to get people to accept the magazines.

My experience with the extended or Black "Tie warranty astounds me even more. If you buy any item, you will be offered an extended warranty. You will be told how that they will repair or replace it if anything goes bad, again training on how to sell these warranties.

The problem comes when the item breaks or stops working, (within the allotted warranty period). I found out that what you paid for your device, means nothing anymore to them. They actually have a way of deducting value for the life of the device and even though you bought a warranty on a $500 item, they will tell you now that you can replace it for about 1/3 of your original paid price. They decide what they will give you, you have no say all of the way to and through the store manager

I am going to write, email, and tell everyone at the company and corporate level that I can reach about this very poor policy. If anyone has any contact info, please send it to me ronlhudson@gmail.com .

The manager gave me his email address and the regional managers email but for some strange reason, neither worked.

I will carry this on as far as I can until they apologize and make this right

If anyone has any other info that might help, please pass it on.

Thanks

Ron L. Hudson

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Vizio Smart TV Nightmare With Best Buy

Posted by Eduardo on 12/02/2013

Rating: 1/51

MIAMI, FLORIDA -- On October 10th unfortunately I purchased a Vizio Smart TV in Best Buy store located at Dadeland Station, Miami, Fl for $ 869.98 plus another 219.51 for offshore shipping. As I am international customer to check or inspect the TV in the store at the moment of purchasing it was not a options according with Best Buy sales policy.

The product itself is supposed to have a one year warranty ???? According with the sale staff and the start Vizio guide but after this situations I am along wasting more than $ 1.000. Now I am receiving a TV with a factory screen defective.

I remark received a very well package with excellent in and out conditions but clearly with factory defective.

I am trying my best effort in order to re send the product back to Florida with a very expensive cost.

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Refusal to Excahnge Defective TV, Out of the Box

Posted by Steve on 07/09/2013

Rating: 1/51

WATERFORD, CONNECTICUT -- I purchased a TV. The box had a small dent in it. When I went to assemble the TV, the screen had some marks on it and was defective. It was apparent also that the TV had been repackaged. Best Buy refused to exchange it. They accused me of damaging it. I did not - I handled it very carefully.

I had to buy a new one, and the new box also had dents. They claimed they would never let a box out of their store with dents - obviously a false claim.

I am suing them in small claims court. I have given them a lot of business, and was very disappointed with how they treated me.